12 Moons Solo Saxophone Project Day 82

Date: 03/23/2013

Instrument: Tenor saxophone

Location: Home studio in Clinton, WA (Whidbey Island)

Notes:

I recorded this improvisation just after dawn this morning. I caught the early light in a deep, greenish-grey hue with the muted tones that only happen when a clouded sky is certain. This inspired me to record a transitory improvisation with an unstable tonal center. I made use of tempered pitches and microtones within a range of the tenor middle octave D to middle octave G.

In the improvisation I begin with a minor third chord with the concert key pithes of C to Eb. I then raise the C by a quarter step and play an E above it. The quarter step high C descends once again to the C, and the E pitch above it remains. Every gesture I made in this improvisation centered around this 3-part motive. In the above pure form I play it only once again at the conclusion of the piece.

There are two split tone chords in this improvisation, each roughly representing minor third chords separated by only a quarter step to a half step in transposition. The first uses the pitches Concert C (quarter step sharp) and E:

(Left Hand) B-A-G keys, Low Bb // F# key, high F# key.

The second chord uses the pitches Concert C and Eb :

(Left Hand) Fork F, C and G keys, Low Bb // F-E-D keys, Low C

-Neil

The painting “Cool White” in today’s post by Lee Krasner